More foot-traffic in and around Ulladulla's main street and the Milton shops humming in the morning are signs the region is taking gentle but positive steps away from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The signs of recovery do look good and most importantly, people are still following the rules, including the most vital social distancing one.
Things have improved vastly in the past few weeks and most local business owners would feel positive about the future.
When the Milton Ulladulla Times last spoke to Carolyne Woodhouse, who runs Ulladulla Second Hand Shop with her mum Janice Hynd, things weren't as promising.
Carolyne, in early April, explained things were quiet, trade was slow and their cash flow had been hit hard.
Fast forward to the present and there's much more positivity.
"Things have come good and it's much brighter," Carolyne said.
Carolyne, in April, said as they had been in business for 28 years, she would fight hard to keep the shop open.
It looks like Carolyne's determination was worthwhile.
Books and DVDs are the shop's major selling articles at the moment.
Speaking of books, Ulladulla's Ulladulla's Harbourside Bookshop has been trading strongly during the pandemic.
However, they have noticed a rise in the number of people coming into the shop in the last week.
"People are getting out again," manager Michelle Evans said.
Michelle said during the slow times, their online and free home delivery services had kept them going.
Books, with limited things people could do, were always going to be a vital COVID-19 survival tool.
New release fiction remains one of the preferred genres.
"We have been selling more non-fiction books as well," Michelle added.
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People are also coming in and getting books that have been on their 'must-read lists' for awhile.
Biographies and social awareness books are also popular.
People are also coming to get jigsaw puzzles from the Harbourside shop.
Craig Saunders, from Saunders Mensland, is always a good person to contact for a view on how business is going in the Ulladulla area.
He has been in business for 41 years and he, like many others, has never faced anything like COVID-19.
Craig believes things are improving.
"In the past two weeks, we have seen a bit of light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
"People are starting to realise life has not come to an end and there is a future.
"However, prior to that, it was very difficult."
He added the horrendous summer bushfires and then coronavirus had hit many business owners hard.
"We [business owners] are now starting to see a slight improvement," he said.
Craig said workwear sales had helped his business face the COVID-19 slow period.
"Our workwear has kept us going because the tradies have not stopped," he said.
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He is now seeing lots of tradesmen, including young ones, return back to the area.
"They are returning to town because work for them is going to be available," the well-known businessman said.
"The building and construction trade down here are going to take us out of any recession we have."
However, he does not think there will be a recession on the South Coast and added getting tourists back will help get the region 'back up and running'.
"I can't see property values falling either," he added.
"The doom and gloom I think is maybe unnecessary for the South Coast."
His store has managed to open six days a week through the COVID-19 period.